Electric-battery cell.



M. 7E. PULD.

ELECTRIC BATTERY CELL. APPLICATION TILED MAR. 12. 1906. 96,222.

Patented May 31, 1910,

I I III HH" 111 MANES E. FUIIID, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

ELECTRIC-BATTERY CELL.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it. known that I, it'll-mics E. For, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bah tiinore city, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric-Battery Cells, of which the .following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to improvements in that class of battery cells known as dry cells, in which the rcccptacle carrying the electrolyte is scaled or tightly closed. v

The chlorid-of-silver dry cells shown and described in U. S. Letters Patent Nos.

572,285; and 612,326 may be taken as types of the general class of cells to which this invention relates and forms upon which the present invention constitutes an improvement. In the majority of cases, the cell proper or receptacle which contains the electrolyte in this class of cells is made of glass, and this glass cell is sealed by means of a plurality of plugs. Such cells not only entail a great amount of time and labor in sealing them, but the breakage of the glass due to ex )ansion and contraction of the plaster seals and the freezing of the electrolyte in winter, and the breakage in transit is very great.

The object of this invention is the production of a dry cell which shall be free from the above faults and possess other advantages which will hereinafter more fully apcar. P \Vith the above object in view, my invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out. in the accompanying claims.

In order to more fully describe my said invention, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 represents in side elevation 21 form of the said cell embodying my invention. Fig. 2, a central vertical section thereof; Fi 3, a perspective view of one of the electro es and two of the sealing plugs separated =*from -cach .ot.her; Fig. 4, a top plan view of the said cell; Fig. 5, an enlarged cross section of one of the follower scaling lugs employed in the type of cell shown in igs. 1 and 2; Fig. 6, a bottom plan view thereof; Fig. 7 a central cross sect onal view of the upper portion of a modified form pf i I l i ually thereof.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented liIay 31, 1910. Application filed March 12, 1906.

Serial No. 305,638.

cell embodying my invention; and Fig. 8, a bottom plan view of the follower plug employed in said modified form.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 represents a tubular shell preferably of zinc per-- manently closed at one end.

This shell, in the case shown, constitutes one of the electrodes of the cell and at the same time the receptacle for the other electrode and the.

electrolyte 2, which latter may be a zinc sulfate solution. The receptacle 1 is crimped inward at its upper end as at 3, and may be provided also with one or more annular crimps, such as 4:,near its upper end. These crimps act .as retainers for a compression sealing plug'5, preferably of soft or resilient rubber or rubbercomposition, inserted in the upper end of the receptacle 1. The plug 5 has a central opening 6 extendin through it longitudinally of the cell, an

into this opening extends a portion of a second plug, which'forms a follower or clamping member for compressing the sealing plug 5. This latter lug is also provided with retaining means iihr holding in position one end of the iucloscd electrode. 'lhis.-fo1- lower plug consists, among other parts, of

an luteriorly screw threaded metal sleeve 7,

having at one end an integral annular flange 8, through which latter passes the opening 9.

The upper end of the sleeve 7 may also be provided with a small fiange'lO.

Completely surrounding the sleeve 7 and its flange 8 is an insulating covering 11, preferably of resilient rubber vulcanized to said sleeve and flange and passinginto the opening 9. .Thcre is an opening 12 through the insulating material 11 within the open-' ing 9, through which opening 12 passes one of the terminals of the cell. Upon the lower face of the covering 11 is formed a collar 13, ada Jted to receive the upper end of the incloseti electrode. This electrode consists, in the case shown, of a mass of chlorid-ofsilver molded in the form of a cylindrical stick 14, or in any "other desired shape, around a conductor 15 extending longitu i- The conductor 15 is preicr ably a silver wire, and at its lower end passes through an insulating retaining piece 16 and is bent therearound as at 17. The outer edges of the retaining piece 16 engage the sides of the rece tacle 1 and thereforeact to keep the eleetro e 14 in position and to prevent the same from engaging the side of per and lower edges of said stick, I provide retaining shoulders at each' end of the stick receptacle 1 and plug 5.

to engage and hold said wire in place. These shoulders may be formed by grooves 22 and 23 or otherwise. The wire 15, as it passes over the upper end of the stick 14 is bent substantially at right angles and passes beneath the lower side of the covering 11 and thence upward through the opening 12, through one side of theplug 5, and thence through a vulcanized fiber or other. insulating cap 24 extending over the top of the This cap 24 is provided .with side extensions or win s 25 into which are screwed cellsupportin inding posts 26 and 27. To the post 261s connected a conductor 28 soldered to the outside of the receptacle 1, while post 27 is connected to wire 15. The cap 24 is provided with a countersunk central opening 29,

through which passes the body portion of a screw 30 into the central opening of the plug 5, where the screw threads thereof engage witht'he screw threads of the sleeve 7.

When it is desired to assemble the cell and seal it, a suitable quantity of the electrolyte is placed in the receptacle 1 and the electrode 13 and the parts shown in Fig. 3 placed in the casing with the upper face of plug 5 about flush with the upper edge ofthe receptacle l, and the lower face of the follower plug engaging the upper surface of the electrolyte so as toexclude as much air as possible -from thecell. In the uncompressed condition in which the two plugs are inserted in the mouth of the receptacle, they do -not close the said' receptacleair tight and thus allow the air to escape therefrom. The

cap 24, with the conductor 15 passing there through, is then placed over the top of the cell, and the screw 30 is passed through said cap and screwed into the sleeve 7. When the screw 30' is turned in one direction in the said. collar, it draws the lower .or follower plug toward the cap 24 and com )resses the resilient plug 5 in the direction 0 the longitudinal axis of the cell, thus causing its distention laterally or in the direction of the inner sidewalls of the cell. By this means,

the plug 5may be made to-fit with extreme.

tightness in the receptacle 1 and will be further held by the crimps 3 and 4 from any possibility of upward movement.- This clamping action also causes a lateral distention of the rubber covering 11 on top of the I 'flange 8 and around its edges, though to a lesser degree than in the case of the plug 5. When the lower plug is drawn toward the cap 24 in compressing the plug 5, a space 31' mil be leftbetween the upper surface of the electrolyte and the lower face of the lower plug,'-wh-ich space forms a receptacle for gases generated within said cell, 'thereby lessening the danger of explosion. After the 'screw 30 has been turned to a sufiicient extent to properly compress the plug 5, a sealing composition 32 is placed over the head thereof in the countersunk portion of the cap 24, in such manner that-it will be necessary to break the said seal in order to open the cell. .The object of this seal is to enable the manufacturer to tell quickly and certainly whether or not the cell has been opened since it 'was sent out from the factory. Chlorid-of-silver. cells of this charac ter are quite valuable intrinsically owing to Y the silver which they contain, even after they have become unfit forjuse electrically,

and for this reason it is'the practice of the manufacturer to buy such cells back after they have become exhausted electrically. It is, therefore, a great advantage to the manufacturer to be able to tell quickly and cer I tainly-whether any of the valuable parts of the cells have beenremoved since leaving the outsiders. When the cell is sealed, the terminals 28'and 15 are connected respectively to the binding posts 26 and 27 when the cell will be ready for use. r In Fig. 7 I have shown. a modification of the follower plug shown in Fig. 2. In the modified form, -the metal sleeve portion 33 I of'the follower plu is not covered with insulation, as in the rst described form, and

.the flange portion, 34 ofsaid plug is covered.

with acoating of hard' rubber having upon its lower face a series of projections 3:) which take the 'place of the collar 13 of the form. shown in Figs. 2 to 6. Also, in the -modificat-ion, Fig. '7, the receptacle 1 is ofone as in Figs. 1'and'2.

Other modifications may be made in my shown provided withtwo crimps instead invention without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, I do not desire to limitthe sealing arrangement to use with metal cells only, since it may also be used with porcelain, glass or. other cells, in. some instances, withgood results. The same applies to the, form of electrode herein claimed.

-If desired, a plurality of cells constructed according to my present' invention may be connected in multiple'or in series or in any -othercombination and inclosed in a suitable cell case, and for this purpose may employ acell case and closure therefor such, for example, as that shown in U. S. Letters Patent- No. 612,326, granted to me October 11, 1898.

that I claim is:

1. Anelectric battery cell, comprising a tubular receptacle, a resilient sealing plug inserted in one end of said receptacle and having a central opening extending therethrou h longitudinally of said cell, a cap over tie to of said receptacle, a screw pass- 4 ing throng said cap into said opening in said plug andlimited in its loiwitudinal movement in one direction by 'said cap, an insulated metallic follower adapted to travel on said screw and to engage the opposite face of said plug from said cap and also the interior side walls of said cell.

2. An electric battery cell, comprising a tubular receptacle, a resilient sealing plug inserted in one end of said receptacle and having a central opening extending there.- through longitudinally of said cell, a cap over the top of said receptacle, a screw passing through said cap into said opening in said plug and limited in its longitudinal movement in one direction by said cap, and ametallic follower covered with insulating material and adapted to travel on said screw and to engage the opposite face of said plug from said cap and also the interior side walls of said cell.

3. An electric battery cell, comprising a tubular receptacle, a resilient sealing plug inserted in one end of said rece hole and having a central opening exten ing therethrough longitudinally of said cell. said reccptaclc being crimped around said plug to retain the same, a cap over the top of said receptacle, a screw passing through said cap into said opening in said plug and limited in its longitudinal movement in one direction by said cap, and a rubber covered metallic follo'wer adapted to travel on said screw and to engage the opposite .t'ace of said plug from said cap and also the interior side walls of said cell.

-l. An electric battery cell, comprising a tubular receptacle, a resilient scaling plu inserted in one end of said receptacle and having a central opening extending therethrough longitudinally of said cell, said re ceptacle being crimped around said plug to retain the same, a cap over the end of said receptacle in which said plug is inserted, a screw havi its head countersunk in said cap and its ody passing through said cap into the central oaening in said plug, and a follower ada te to travel on said screw and to engage t 1e opposite face of said plug.

from said cap.

5. An electric battery cell, comprisin a tubular receptacle, a resilient sealing p ug inserted in one end of said receptacle and having a central openin extending therethrougl longitudinally of said cell, said receptacle being crimped around said plug to retain the same, a cap over the end of said receptacle in which said plug is inserted, a screw havin its head countersunk in said cap and its body passing through said cap into the central opening in said plug, a followeradapted to travel on said screw and to engage the opposite face of said plug from said cap, anda composition seal over 7. An e ectric battery cell, comprising a metallic tube permanently closed at one end and constituting one of the electrodes and a receptacle for the electrolyte, in combination with a resilient rubber sealing plug inserted in the other end of said tube and having a central opening extending therethrough longitudinally of said cell, said casing being crimped around said plug to reta n the same, an insulating cap over the end of said tube in which said plug is inserted, a screw having its head countersunk in said cap and its body extending through said cap into the central opening in'said sealing plug, a rubber covered metal follower threaded on said screw within the opening in said sealing plug and having a flanged portion adapted to engage the lower face of said plug and the interior side walls of said tube, an electrode etaining projection on said follower, an electrode held thereby, an lnsulating support to retain the other end of said electrode in position, cell supporting binding posts secured to said cap, connections between said electrodes and said binding posts, and a seal over the countersunk head-of the screw in said cap.

8. An electric battery cell, comprising an electrolyte receptacle, a resilient sealing plug inserted in one end thereof, clamping means to compress said plug, and electrode-retaining means on a portion of said clamping means.

9. An electric battery cell, comprising an electrolyte receptacle, a resilient sealing plug inserted in one end thereof having an opening extending longitudinally thereof, a cap over the top of said receptacle separate from said plug, a screw passing through said cap into said opening 111 said plug, a clamping follower adapted to travel on said screw and located on the opposite side of said plug from said cap, and an electrode-retaining lug carried by said follower.

10.'An electric battery cell comprising a tubular receptacle, a resilient cell-seahng inserted in one end of said receptacle and having a central opening extending there through longitudinally of said cell, a. cap over the to of said receptacle, a screw passing throug said cap into said opening in said plug and limited in its lateral 'movement in one direction by said cap, and an insulated metallic follower adapted to travel on said screw and to engage the opposite face of said plug from said cap.-

12. An electric battery cell, comprising a receptacle, an electrolyte -in said receptacle,

a resilient sealin plug inserted in one end of said receptace to confine said electrolyte, clamping means comprisin a screw and a follower to compress said p ug cause the distention of the same in the direction of and against the inner side walls of the said receptacle, an'elect-rode attached to sa d follower, 'and a terminal conductor fpassmg from said electrode up through said llower and plug. 13. An electric battery cell, comprising a receptacle, 'a resilient sealing plug inserted in said receptacle, a cap over the top of said receptacle, a screw and follower arranged to cotiperate with said cap to compress said plug to cause its distention in the direction c of and against the side walls of said receptacle, an electrode in said electrolyte, and

electrode retaining means attaching said electrode to said follower.

In testimony whereof Iaifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MANES E. FULD: Witnesses: 5

C. B. IIANCOCK, G. HOWARD DU ALL. 

